Yesterday Amnesty International released a report showing how Chinese weapons have helped sustain brutal conflicts, criminal violence and other grave human rights violations in countries such as Sudan, Nepal, Myanmar and South Africa. This report is carried by the BBC and in today’s Independent.
In addition to selling major conventional weapons including tanks and ballistic missiles, China sells substantial amounts of small arms and security equipment to armies and police forces. The total value of its arms exports is approximately $1bn a year.
"China's arms exports policy is reckless and dangerous, paying no heed to human rights," said Amnesty International's UK director, Kate "In a bid to continue economic expansion and grab a slice of the lucrative global weapons market, China has shipped arms into conflict zones and to countries that torture and repress their people.
Since it entered the global arms market 20 years ago, China has supplied an arsenal of military, security and police equipment to countries with a record of human rights violations. In particular, Amnesty criticizes China’s supply of military equipment to Sudan despite well-documented and widespread killings, rapes and abductions by government forces and its militia in Darfur. In Nepal, China has supplied small arms and light weapons to the armed forces, which have been responsible for much of the killings and torture, often of civilians.
Chinese authorities consider the Amnesty report to be baseless. In today’s Xinhua Teng Jianqun, a researcher with the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association, stated that China has always put its limited arms export under strict control and surveillance, denouncing Amnesty International's slams on China's arms trade as irresponsible and groundless.
Much attention has been focused in recent months on China's role in selling arms and technology usable in nuclear weapons to Iran, a long-time ally and trading partner. China has been linked to sales of high-quality uranium gas to Tehran for an enrichment programme which could eventually produce nuclear weapons. Amnesty said it is not just major weapons of mass destruction that are the problem and it is the weaponry on a smaller scale that is contributing to a worsening human rights situation.
China’s contribution to the arms trade may still be rather smaller than other nations but it is clear that it is showing all of the amorality that goes with that business. Should I be surprised? Of course not! When a repressive nation such as China gets its snout into the trough of international trade there is no reason to expect it to play with a “straight bat”.
12 comments:
"China's arms exports policy is reckless and dangerous, paying no heed to human rights,"
Now, that's funny... Considering that China doesn't respect human rights at home, expecting that it would cancel profitable arms sales because of human rights is beyond naive....
It's a bit like being surprised that Hitler never condemned apartheid in South Africa...
Thank you Amnesty International for finally focusing on a larger problem than the one you seem to always have with the United States.
I was going to insert a joke about the Chinese baby being born with three arms. My less tacky side prevailed though.
"paying no heed to human rights" - yeah, arm exports must be about human rights. Pray tell me when has arm export ever been wise and safe? It's like telling executions are more lethal in China than elsewhere.
Sonia, Red Perhaps this post was a bit of a "No shit sherlock" post! Then again there are those who seem to think that just because something is not american then it cant be evil... Of course China will sell its arms to any piece of drek who will give them money or materials...
With regard to Apartheid. could Hitler have condemned it? If Apratheid started with teh National Party in 1948 then he couldn't! Obviously many of the elements were in place long before then
Elasticwaistbandlady the vast majority of Amnesty's work is aimed at anywhere but the USA. Given that it is hated by many regimes means that it is doing its job right most of the time!
No shit, Watson. I'm waiting for the AI to condemn North Korea, those bad boys play a bit too much with their guns...
Since when is arm export a human rights issue? Btw. First we kill with those guns...
Amnesty does speak out on North Korea - eg Starved of Rights
I plead limited exposure to unbiased Amnesty International updates. Of course, when I read the paper and listen to talk radio here, it focuses on what negative things AI has said of America. It generally sticks in the craw of conservatives, and I admit to occasionally being more prone to reacting based on feeling first more than fact. Criticism tends to raise the rankles of defense.
Shock Of The Day: Redwine is a female??!!!?
I think we all do that so some extent elasticwaistbandlady. The reality is that Amnesty's activities are far more ranging than focusing on the USA!
Elasticwaistbandlady, lol: yes, a female. Very much so...
Hey redwine, I had smoky visions dancing in my mind of a bourgeois white European dude.
I hate it when the face I assign to blogger characters is so far off course.
Heh, Electricwaistbandlady, yes, European. As for the rest not really...I like surprises, the good ones. We have shortage of those, unfortunately, but I never stated the world couldn't be a better place.
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